


Packed Up and Ready to Go

by phoenixgal



Series: How Did I Get Here? [2]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 07:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9374846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixgal/pseuds/phoenixgal
Summary: Daniel jumps abruptly from one reality into another.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is an outtake from my story How Did I Get Here? In that story, Daniel accidentally sets of a chain reaction where seven Daniels from seven realities all keep displacing each other in turn for a few days, experiencing life in a different reality. That story follows a Daniel that's basically canon Daniel. This one is the Daniel that jumps into his place before they know what's going on. It probably mostly makes sense as a standalone.

Daniel hadn't had such a killer headache in months and it came on all of a sudden, while they were camped out in a bombed out ranch house in Montana. There was a lone cow there. They had butchered it and were trying to eat as much as they could and feed as much as they could to the kids before moving on.

Cassie followed him onto the porch as he sank down, clutching his temples. Sometimes she liked to play doctor. She actually wasn't bad at it, especially with the little ones. Mark's kids thought of her as the real authority on this excursion. Maybe there was something about seeing two planets devastated by the goa'uld that made you unnaturally calm in the face of insanity.

“I do have some aspirin I've been hoarding in the med kit,” she said, watching him. “But this seems like something way worse. I wish Mom...”

“Gah...” Daniel said as a jolt of pain hit and everything went dark.

* * *

When he woke up, he knew immediately he was inside, somewhere warm, and he could hear the buzz of electrical equipment going. That could never mean anything good.

He fought the urge to open his eyes in favor of trying to assess as much as he could before giving away that he was conscious. Electricity meant he was likely captive. There were a few people still running generators, but they were getting rarer and they were mostly collaborators. No way would Sam have wasted such resources on him.

Except, then he heard her voice, as well as Janet's, and it was almost enough to startle him into opening his eyes. Janet was supposed to be hundreds of miles away back at base camp in Colorado. And they needed her there. She was one of the few things holding that shithole together. If he and Sam managed to pull off their insane plan, Colorado was about to get a lot more attention and they'd need her on the front lines with them if they managed to retake the 'gate.

“...planning to go to the movies on Sunday with us?” Janet asked.

“If I can get out of here,” Sam replied. “I'm trying to work on that tech we brought in last week. There's a mini shield generator that seems related to the personal shield device the goa'uld use.”

“Sam, you have got to get out more.”

“Yeah, I know. But, Jan, shield generator!”

Janet laughed, a bubbly laugh like Daniel hadn't heard anyone have in longer than he could really remember.

None of this made any sense. It was obviously a trick of some kind. But what was the trick? What was the end goal? If he'd been captured and they wanted information, why not just snake him and be done with it? Or maybe he was already snaked. He's seen it happen where the person doesn't know. If he could keep control long enough, maybe he could get a gun and shoot himself. Except, again, just having that thought meant it was probably too late. And none of it answered what was going on.

Then he heard a voice that really chilled him down to the bone.

“Any change?” It was Jack.

“Not yet,” Janet said. “Nor do I have any explanation for why his clothes changed or where that scar came from.”

“I think he went somewhere,” Sam said. “Maybe he traveled to the past again.”

“Without the gate?” Jack asked.

“It's just a guess,” Sam said.

“Well, he should wake up any time,” Janet said. “I can't find any physical reason for him to be out. I think he's just asleep and will be up soon. If there's no response in the next few minutes, I can try using a mild stimulant.”

“Bring a pot of coffee in from the commissary and see if he stands up sniffing for it,” Jack quipped.

It was all Daniel could do not to scream. Whatever he did, it needed to be soon if Janet planned to stick something in him.

He waited for their voices to fade and then carefully opened an eye slightly. It looked like the SGC. What if this is the travel back in time? Maybe Sam was right and this was before the invasion. Or maybe it was part of an elaborate trick. He wasn't sure what to think. 

Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye that decided him. A Jaffa walked into the infirmary. He was tall and bald, with the emblem of Apophis emblazoned on his forehead. Sam greeted him cheerfully like a friend.

He couldn't wait any longer. When he was reasonably sure no one was looking, he rolled silently off the bed and walked as calmly and swiftly as he could to the door.

He knew he'd just gotten lucky that no one had seen him. But now he needed to go fast. He had no idea what might be happening, but security was remarkably relaxed and he didn't see any other Jaffa, which was a relief. He managed to make it to the equipment room and found, in his old locker, his baretta and a zat waiting for him. The ease of getting to those small arms was so immense that he almost tried for the armory to see if he could check out more of an arsenal. He'd walked past numerous people and no one had stopped him.

He wasn't really surprised that he got caught at the elevator. He heard Jack's voice behind him, or the voice of the gou'ald inside Jack or the simulation that was Jack or whatever it was. He didn't even sound all that worried, which was good. Daniel immediately turned around and zatted him.

Of course, then, all hell broke loose.

Daniel managed to get into the elevator and got it started. He made it all the way to 16, which wasn't bad, before he heard the elevator hitch. By then, he had already gotten ready. He had to get out of the SGC if he had any chance. He was sure of that. Getting to the top of the elevator was a challenge but he had managed it. He didn't need to climb all the way out, but if he could make it up one flight and get out through the doors before they realized where he had gone, he might be able to get into the stairwell and blast his way through security.

He scaled the wall in the elevator shaft pretty quickly and blew open the door. Unfortunately, the Jaffa was waiting for him.

“Daniel Jackson,” the Jaffa said, sounding almost calm as he took the zat and locked Daniel into a grip.

But Daniel wasn't ready to give up. He relinquished the zat right away, but he pulled out of the grip. In a way he couldn't believe that such a simple evasive move had worked against a Jaffa, but on the other hand, this Jaffa seemed to expect him to not fight or not fight very well. In an instant, Daniel had the baretta in his hand and fired.

He aimed for the symbiote. That was a killing move, long term, for a Jaffa. At the last minute, the Jaffa moved and he only caught him in the chest.

It was plenty to slow him down though, especially at close range like that. Daniel spun, ready to shoot anyone else who stood in his way. Unfortunately, when he turned, he saw SF's closing in from both directions down the corridor. He could try to take as many out as possible, but then he'd risk being taken. They had the look of people determined to take him alive. He knew that look.

There was no way Daniel was going to be taken. No way he'd let himself be snaked if he could help it. He turned the gun on himself.

“Daniel!” Sam screamed.

Damn. If there was anyone's voice who could have made him pause, it was Sam. He turned and saw her standing next to where the Jaffa had fallen and was bleeding.

In the moment that he hesitated, she zatted him.

* * *

The next time he woke up, he had another killer headache, though this was one he knew well. It was the aftereffects of a zat. He was also, no surprise, restrained in a chair and in one of the isolation rooms.

Jack was sitting across from him, looking peeved. It was such a Jack look that Daniel shut his eyes tight. He didn't want to see whatever it was that was imitating Jack so well. When Jack had been snaked, the snake had imitated Jack very well too. Daniel had hesitated. Sam had been the strong one.

“You want to tell me why you did that?” Jack asked.

Daniel opened his eyes briefly to stare at the Jack thing. “Fuck you.”

“I'll take that as a no,” Jack said. “You nearly killed Teal'c, you know.”

“The Jaffa? Too bad I didn't.”

Jack paused, then he called up to the window. “General, I don't think it's Daniel.”

“Of course I'm Daniel,” he hissed. “You're the one putting up this elaborate ruse pretending to be Jack.”

Jack looked taken aback. “General, he says he's Daniel, but he's some sort of crazy Daniel.”

The isolation window lit up so he could see through it. There was General Hammond. It was virtual parade of dead people, he supposed.

“I don't know what you think you're going to accomplish here, but no way am I going to crack.” Except, he never would have thought Sam would crack either. Or that Jack would have gotten snaked.

“I'm not trying to crack anyone!” Jack said, frustrated. 

The door opened and Sam came in. “Dr. Fraiser's still in surgery, Sir,” she said.

The sight of Sam made him angrier. Was it really Sam or someone else?

“Any insights, Carter?” Jack asked, gesturing toward him.

“I don't know, Sir,” she said, looking right at him.

She looked so innocent. He wanted to break down and cry. “At least tell me what happened to the kids,” he said. It was a stupid thing to ask. But the last thing he remembered, he was with Cassie. If he was taken, they probably were too. He doesn't know why he needs this closure. They probably wouldn't tell him anyway, but had to ask.

“What kids?” Jack said.

Daniel stared back at him sullenly.

“What kids, Daniel?” Sam asked.

He looked at her questioningly. How could she not know? Maybe she wasn't Sam. That was both a relief and upsetting. None of this made any sense.

“Sir,” Sam said slowly. “I'm developing a theory. What if he's like a mirror Daniel?”

“What? Like that thing with the other you that came here?”

“Exactly.”

“I didn't see any mirror.”

“But maybe it was the box. Maybe it's an alternate means of interdimensional travel.”

Daniel watched them. He didn't want that to make sense, but it almost did.

Sam turned to him. “What children, Daniel?”

“Cassie,” he said. “And Andrew and Elsie, Zinny, Omar, Katherine, and the little one, Grace.”

“Andrew and Elsie? Mark's kids?”

He didn't answer.

“I think he's from some other reality, Sir,” she said again. “Some reality where something really terrible happened.”

* * *

It took hours, but eventually he became at least semi-convinced. If it was a delusion or some sort of goa'uld trickery, he couldn't figure out what the point would be, especially after Sam agreed not to ask him any more questions about his reality.

“Just tell me the gist of what happened,” she had requested. “The thing everyone knows.”

“Massive goa'uld invasion. Jaffa everywhere. I'm not saying more than that,” he had replied.

“Shit,” Jack said.

Once he agreed not to try and escape, they uncuffed him from the chair, though they left him in the isolation room. He didn't decide if he really wouldn't try and escape, but since the next thing they did was bring coffee and a massive pile of food, including honest to goodness fresh fruit and vegetables, Daniel decided maybe he would at least hear them out. He couldn't figure out where they could get a banana if the whole thing were fake. Even the goa'uld didn't have bananas. Bananas meant the world economy had to be moving goods around the globe.

The banana had done more to convince him than Sam or Jack had.

Then Janet came in to check him out. It was like old times. She had all her equipment. She drew too much blood. She checked him for a million things. Then she told him he was suffering from a mild vitamin C deficiency.

“I understand that wherever you were in your reality, that you were helping Cassie,” she said as she gave him a vitamin shot. “Thank you, Daniel.”

If she knew what he had been doing, taking the kids away to Alaska, she might not have thanked him. Still, he nodded. They had hoped. And he had convinced Sam it was better to have the kids gone when the real shit when down, if they were able to poison every symbiote in a thousand square radius and set up a new base. Who knew how crazy things would get? Besides, it was a good excuse for getting to the lab in Idaho and getting more equipment.

Sam seemed to think that the Daniel from their reality might be there in his place. Daniel wasn't sure what to think about that. He could only hope the him from this reality would be tough enough to stand all the things that had to be done. And especially that he would be tough enough to take care of Sam.

He had forgotten how quiet and calm Sam could be. She looked so steady working the problem of trying to understand what had happened.

When she brought more food at the end of the day since he had devoured what they brought before, she sat down with him for a few minutes. There were two SF's who stayed at the doorway while they ate together. Daniel thought he could probably take them out if he really needed to. But what would be the point?

“If you could just tell me what you were doing when you left your reality,” Sam said. She looked so plaintive. 

“I might have been in the midst of yanking the symbiote out a Jaffa and gutting him. Hope your Daniel was able to finish the job.”

It was hard to say why he felt the need to be as gruesome as possible. His Sam would have laughed at this statement. She would have asked why she wasn't invited to help. This Sam pushed her food aside and looked sad.

They were all soft. He'd been soft once.

They let him watch TV. There were shows that were on, continuing. The news was downright boring. The president was still alive. Washington and New York were still there. It was surreal.

Eventually it got late enough and he fell asleep with his belly full, pretty sure he'd still be alive in the morning.

* * *

In the morning, Jack that wasn't Jack was back.

“Carter's doing tests on the thing our Daniel was playing around with before this happened. I didn't understand a word of what she said, but the gist of it was that maybe it's counting down and you'll switch back when it finishes.”

Daniel didn't reply. He didn't like talking to the not Jack. They had what might be characterized as a staring contest for while, looking into each other's eyes. Jack blinked first, which made Daniel want to stand up from the chair and shake him. Jack O'Neill couldn't blink first. Jack O'Neill couldn't be the one to look away. If Jack couldn't win their stupid staring contest, it meant he wasn't as strong as Daniel had always believed. Daniel was only half the man Jack was. He was nothing. He shoved himself back from the table.

“Carter thought you'd enjoy a distraction,” Jack said, still looking away. He dropped a heavy folder on the table. “See you.”

The folder turned out to be piles of the latest translation work. It was neverending, he recalled. And pointless. It had all been pointless. Who cared what some stuck in the stone age civilization had carefully etched out in some rock for a false god who tortured them for fun? All that mattered was killing the false gods.

He chucked the whole thing in the wastebasket.

But as the day went on, Daniel got more and more bored. The TV was boring. The room was boring. The newspaper was boring. Even the food, which had been such a novelty to have fresh food, got boring once he felt full again. He tried doing pushups, but that wasn't particularly intellectually challenging. It didn't help that he was worried about Sam and the kids. Assuming any of this was real.

Finally, he gave in and pulled the folder out of the trash. It was just something to do, like Jack and his crosswords.

* * *

When the door opened, Daniel had the folder out and translations spread in front of him. This was always fun. It was like a puzzle. And he hadn't done any puzzles in almost a year.

For a moment, he didn't look up. He paused what he was doing, wondering if it was dinnertime. He'd never take a meal for granted ever again. And, if they were right and he went back, he should probably pack in whatever he could. The movement behind him was so silent, he thought he knew who it was.

“Jack?” he turned.

Standing at the door was the Jaffa, his arms behind his back, his Apophis brand emblazoned on his forehead.

Daniel froze and closed his fist around his pen. It was a stupid weapon, but the room had been cleared of most things. The chair and table could become weapons if need be. The bed. The sheet. Anything can be a weapon. But against an unimpaired Jaffa, Daniel knew he didn't have much hope without superior firepower. Still, he stood up, extremely slowly, keeping his eyes the man's. He didn't want to be seated while the enemy was standing.

“I am not here to hurt you, Daniel Jackson.”

Daniel made a noise of disbelief. Not that it mattered. He was cornered. If the game was up, if the whole thing was a ruse and they were ready for him to be dead or snaked or tortured, it would happen. And he'd be helpless. He couldn't even kill himself in this room with nothing sharp but a pen. Anything he could do they could undo if they snaked him. Nothing was permanent enough.

“I am mostly healed from my injuries and wished to speak to you.”

“So speak.”

“May I sit with you?”

“Can I stop you?”

“Probably not. However, if you insist that I leave, I will leave, though with a sense of regret. I would like to try and help you. And help the Jaffa of your reality.”

Daniel snorted derisively. “Anything that helps me, hurts the Jaffa of my reality.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps not. May I sit?”

Daniel glanced at the chair and shrugged.

The Jaffa sat down, but Daniel didn't budge. He knew it was stupid to think of standing as the upper hand with a Jaffa, but he couldn't yield any advantage.

“I do not know what has occurred in your reality. I wish only to tell you what happened in this one.”

“So tell.”

“I believe that O'Neill and Samantha Carter told you about me, but I will introduce myself to you formally. I am Teal'c. I trained for many years to be an unrivaled warrior for Apophis. I believed in glory from the battlefield. However, I saw things that bothered me. My own father was killed in one of Apophis's wars with Lord Cronus. Sometimes I saw young Jaffa, unprepared, slaughtered on the battlefield. I also saw my master do many cruel things to the humans who worshiped him. Just before I rose to First Prime, my teacher, Master Bra'tac, told me a great truth. The goa'uld are not gods. They have enslaved my people for their cruel purposes.

“For many years, I knew this truth. I spread it to the Jaffa I believed could be trusted. However, I continued to work in the service of the false god Apophis because I did not believe there was any way to defeat him. Then, four years ago, I was sent to collect humans to bring to Chulak for Apophis to choose new hosts. I took the wife of Daniel Jackson.”

Daniel gripped the back of the chair. Teal'c cocked his head slightly but continued.

“She was made a host to Apophis's queen. But when Daniel Jackson and Colonel O'Neill came to rescue those we had taken as potential hosts, O'Neill convinced me that the Tau'ri could help me defeat the false gods.

“Since then, we have brought many Jaffa to our cause. And we hope to bring many more. I live in hope that one day my people will be free. I would like to give you the names of Jaffa who might be allies in your world against the false gods.”

Daniel stood there listening through this explanation. He didn't say anything for awhile. The two of them stared at each other for a long time, at least several minutes.

Finally, Daniel said, “I was never married.”

“Then the Teal'c of your reality did not visit this offense upon you.”

“Who's he married to?”

“Her name was Sha're. She was from Abydos.”

“The woman they tried to give me like chattel? He kept her?” Daniel snorted disgustedly. “Are they happy?”

“They are not any longer. We were unable to remove the goa'uld from her. Last year, I killed Sha're as she was attacking Daniel Jackson. I did this to save his life.”

Daniel's jaw tightened. “So you're a real friend to humanity, I guess.”

There was another silence, though shorter. Finally, Teal'c said, “Are you willing to hear the advice I wish to impart?”

Daniel paused. “Yeah, sure. You want to give me names of the animals I'm hunting down, go for it. Can't make it any harder.”

Teal'c nodded. “Thank you.”

Daniel didn't move and didn't release his grip on the chair as Teal'c began to list names for him of Jaffa in service to various System Lords. He carefully went through things to say to each of them to sway them. Daniel said nothing. He didn't nod or acknowledge anything the Jaffa said. He just remembered it and set it down. Maybe it would one day be useful. Maybe not. Right now, he liked the plan Sam had better to poison them all. If they could just finish the formula, he was sure their dispersal plan would be successful. Then they'd have the SGC as a base. They might even be able to get back in touch with the Alpha site. That was the hope, not recruiting the dogs that killed them to their side.

When he finished, Teal'c stood up, very slowly and carefully. Then he said, “Thank you for listening, Daniel Jackson.” He turned to leave, but stopped and turned back when he got to the door. “If you wish to have some exercise while you await a solution to your plight, I always appreciate a worthy sparring partner in the gym. I believe this can be arranged.” And without waiting for Daniel's response, he left.

It took Daniel several minutes to release the chair. When he did, he ended up picking it back up and swinging it against the wall with a bang. It took more swings than he could count before the heavy wood finally shattered, breaking apart at the legs. Daniel picked up the pile of translation work Jack had brought him and began tearing it up.

When Jack came with his supper, Daniel was sitting on the floor with the remains of the translations, tearing the paper into ever smaller shreds, making a little mountain of trash.

“Geez, I guess it's a good thing that was just copies,” Jack observed, putting the tray of food down on the table.

Daniel shrugged then threw some of the bits of paper up and let them rain down like confetti. He laughed.

Jack's eyes widened. Daniel could see the judgment there and the fear. He grabbed the broken chair leg and pegged it at Jack's head, hard.

Jack ducked just in time, as Daniel had thought he would. The chair leg hit the door behind him with a loud thud. Daniel chuckled again.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Jack said.

“I'm bored out of my mind in here.”

“You tore up the something to do I brought you.”

“I'd rather gnaw off my foot and escape from the trap,” Daniel said. “Or better yet, kill the hunters that are coming for me.”

Jack stood there looking clouded and dark. Daniel laughed again. “God, what I wouldn't give to see that expression on your face again. The real you. Sick of keeping all of your kids in line.”

“Is that what I did?”

“Mostly.”

“It work?”

“Better than it's working now. If we manage to…” Daniel stopped. He laughed. “Shit. You almost got me talking that time. If the real you saw the state of things, heads would roll. Hopefully that screw up Pete's would be the first one.”

“Who's Pete?”

“One of Sam's knights in shining armor. She has a whole harem's worth. Mark mostly keeps them… or us, in line.”

“You and Carter?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Don't think you can use me against her. She'd let me die in an instant.”

“Thought you believed us about the whole alternate realities deal,” Jack said.

Daniel shrugged. “Mostly. Can't be too safe.”

“Safest thing would be to shut up.”

Daniel laughed. “It would, but did I mention I'm bored? Idle hands are the devil's workshop. Idle lips… or something.” He knocked the pile of torn paper in every direction. “Idle lips. Ha. Not much to do when you're bored in the new world but fight, hunt, and fuck. No need to hunt when you have bananas. You don't look like you're here to fight. You here to fuck?”

Jack shook his head. “Frasier says there's extra vitamins on your tray. And Carter says the countdown is moving. She estimates less than a day now. I'd tell you to rest up if I thought it would help your sanity level. Or I'd send Mackenzie in here if I didn't think you might kill him with your bare hands.”

“Mackenzie? Fuck. I wouldn't kill him. Do you know, he was here on the day and got out with us. Shot a Jaffa on our way out too. He had more guts than I would have thought. One of our first casualties though. Jaffa hung him by his own entrails on a tree along the road to camp. We had to move, of course.”

“Bye, Daniel,” Jack said.

* * *

Daniel managed to eat and sleep, but he was up early, still restless, without anything to do. He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but when the SF's came to check on him, he said he wanted to see the Jaffa, that he'd invited him to the gym.

Half an hour later, he was standing in the gym, SF's at the door, the Jaffa, Teal'c, facing him.

“Have you been trained in the art of combat, Doctor Jackson?” Teal'c asked.

Daniel shrugged. “I wouldn't say trained.”

“We will use training staffs,” Teal'c said. Daniel already had the wooden mock up of a staff weapon in his hand. He'd used the real thing enough times that it felt like a dummy weapon, but he shrugged his assent. He hadn't really thought he'd have the chance to kill or even to die, not with whatever was going on in this place.

“Among my people, we bow as we begin combat, much like many Tau'ri cultures.”

“Sure,” Daniel said.

The moment Teal'c bowed, Daniel came forward with the training staff and brought it down over the Jaffa's head in a massive blow. He knew it wouldn't be enough, but it was something. Teal'c seemed to have been genuinely taken by surprise. He buckled slightly and even grunted before coming up with a small grin on his face. He raised his own training staff.

Then it was on. Daniel knew he had no real chance against an opponent with superhuman strength and endurance, not to mention a height advantage. But he kept getting in blows and kept dodging Teal'c's blows. They circled each other like that for what seemed like a long time, but was probably only a few minutes. Daniel made Teal'c lose his balance by moving the weights when he turned to strike. Then he took advantage by getting in a blow to the Jaffa's knee.

However, after the third time they'd circled and Daniel had come out ahead, he started to get frustrated. He was obviously being toyed with. He didn't feel like being patronized. So he stopped bothering to block or duck and simply charged at Teal'c, battering him as many times as he could before Teal'c seized the wooden practice weapon and knocked the blunt end into his gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling.

That was more like it. Now Daniel had no weapon.

“Do you concede?” Teal'c asked.

In answer, Daniel stood up and hurled himself at Teal'c, kicking the same knee he struck before and moving to strike a blow to Teal'c's cheek. When Teal'c blocked easily, Daniel pulled back, nearly making the Jaffa overbalance. He recovered quickly though, and used the wooden practice weapon to sweep at Daniel's feet and knock him down again.

“Do you concede?”

Again, Daniel stood up. They went three more rounds this way. Daniel knew he was still being toyed with, but at least it was roughly. And he could see the pleasure in Teal'c's eyes every time he did something surprising. It infuriated him. He wasn't there to score points. On the other hand, he was pleased with himself. Two years before, he would have been dead.

When he went down the fifth time, he landed hard and felt his head hit the mat with a loud thunk that sent a ringing through his ears like a bomb blast. He moved to stand up quickly, but he staggered and fell and, fighting it with everything he had, he blacked out.

It must have only been for a moment, but came to and saw Teal'c kneeling over him.

“Doctor Jackson? Do you need medical assistance?”

“No,” he sputtered out. “I don't concede either.” He tried to stand up.

“Then I am forced to concede to you.”

Daniel huffed.

“Sit up and drink,” Teal'c advised.

Grudgingly, Daniel did so. Teal'c sat carefully on the edge of weightlifting bench. 

After a minute, the ringing in Daniel's ears subsided and he felt his breathing go back to normal. His heart still pounded with the strain of fighting hand to hand with a Jaffa and sweat still poured down his brow.

“You fight admirably,” Teal'c observed.

Daniel didn't respond.

“The Daniel Jackson of my reality does not have the skills you possess.”

Daniel flicked his eyes up to Teal'c and snorted. “He's probably soft. I was soft once.”

Teal'c looked at him intently. Daniel hated to admit how unnerving he found this Jaffa. Sometimes the Jaffa were focused or deliberative, but in a way that always let Daniel see them as mindless drones. He liked it better when they were bloodthirsty like old time Celtic berserkers. This guy seemed almost thoughtful. He was too human for Daniel's taste. Or maybe he had just spent too much time around him, even if it was only a couple of days worth of interactions.

“The Daniel Jackson of my reality is not soft,” Teal'c finally said. “He is determined and steadfast at all times. Compassion and idealism are not the qualities of a soft man. They are the qualities of a true warrior.”

Daniel shrugged.

“I would like to show you some moves that could serve you again should you spar with one trained in Jaffa combat.”

Daniel nodded. He almost liked this Jaffa. And as Teal'c put him through his paces again, Daniel found himself appreciating the insights about fighting the Jaffa. Teal'c shared tips that would be useful if he ever got back to his reality.

* * *

It wasn't until he was back in the isolation room, locked up tight again, that Daniel felt the anger and resentment bubble up again. He hurled one of the pieces of the broken chair at the wall and went to bed repeating to himself over and over the promise he had made to Sam months before, when they held Jack's body between them.

“Kill them all. Kill them all.”

At some point in the night, he woke up with his head pounding and his mind spinning. There was a moment of disorientation as he clutched at his temples and then a realization that this pain was like the one he had experienced before he had come to this reality. He cried out and heard the sounds of the SF's outside the door. This was it. He could go back now. Back to Sam. Back to Cassie and the kids. Back to the fight. He squeezed his eyes to shut out the pain as everything went dark.


End file.
